Ball season in Vienna
The Viennese Ball is a traditional event recalling the romance and elegance of 19th-century Vienna. They celebrate the Carnival in January and February here in a formal and spectacular way very little other places do. Each year, there are more than 450 balls, which bring thousands of people to the city.
Choice selection of events
In 2019, the ball season starts this weekend with the Styrians' Ball at the Hofburg palace and the Tyroleans' Ball at the Vienna City Hall. Should you not be able to book your tickets to these festive events on time, there are a lot of other famous balls, such as the Zuckerbäckerball (17 January 2019), or the Coffee-house Owners' Ball (22 February 2019) which is one of the most visited every year, attracting about 5,000 visitors.
The Vienna Philarmonic (24 January 2019) opens the doors to its ball at the Vienna Musikverein. Sadly for their fans however, at this event the musicians of this world-famous orchestra can only be found with their instruments during the introduction and in the rest of the evening these noted artists are present as guests just as everyone else.
The most famous and biggest ball in Austria undoubtedly is the Vienna Opera Ball. People from all over the world come to this renowned event to do the waltz and enjoy the history-charged atmosphere of the Vienna State Opera. Each year, the auditorium of the Vienna State Opera is turned into a huge ballroom, and they invite guests from the world of culture, business, politics, sports and science which is a rare opportunity not only to ballroom dancers but to build relationships across cultures. Tickets for the ball are so popular that it’s strongly advised to book your tickets for next year’s event right after this year’s ball.
Dress-code
The balls vary in size and formality so all of us can find the one that we are interested in. For example the so called
Bonbonball (Candy Ball - and yes, there are plenty of sweets served there) at Vienna Concert Hall is known to be the most informal one, closing the season on the 1st of March this year.
The dress-code is very important on all Vienna Balls. Women should wear long dresses and men should wear black suit and ties. Some balls are very strict and even refuse entry for people who don’t respect this dress code. There are some balls that offer proper ties at the entrance - for a fairly expensive price - to those who have mistakenly forgot theirs. There are different expectations, but you can check
here what you are required to wear at the particular ball you attend. You need to look elegant and fit into the philosophy of this centuries old imperial tradition.
Ballroom events in Vienna
Ballroom events in Salzburg
- January 19, 2019: Paris Lodron Ball of the University at the state rooms of the Salzburg Residenz palace
- March 02, 2019: Rotkreuzball (Red Cross Ball) at Salzburg Congress
Ballroom events in Graz
Ballroom events in Linz
Ballroom events in Innsbruck